# Member Lounge > Miscellaneous >  Google Earth

## Maciamo

I have just discovered this wonderful tool that is Google Earth. It is a simulation of the earth with satelite photos that allow you to rotate the globe, zoom on any city, and even have a GPS function with the road network and names in Western countries (but not Japan). Some major cities have so detailed photos that we can even see the cars and identify houses. Some US cities like NY or LA have an option to superimpose 3D buildings on the picture too !

All one could wish for is that all the world could be seen with the same details as those cities. Will come in the future I guess.

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## Gaijinian

I just tried it yesterday and had a great time. It is well worth it to download.

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## Mike Cash

The Tokyo area data is many years old. The harbor areas in particular are very out of date.

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## Maciamo

> The Tokyo area data is many years old. The harbor areas in particular are very out of date.


Yes, I noticed too. The construction of the towers of Shiodome had not yet started, for example.

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## Faustianideals

Also check out where the Trade Towers in New York use to be..

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## Mike Cash

> Yes, I noticed too. The construction of the towers of Shiodome had not yet started, for example.


Stuff around the docks that I know was there and looking weatherbeaten and worn out when I first started going in and out of there hadn't even been built yet in those photos.

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## Dutch Baka

how big is the file? 200mb??? pretty big it is... then.. i will wait with it..

i have heard of the program a couple of weeks ago, cant wait to see it!!!! ( no more map buying Lol)

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## Keiichi

The program is 1MB in size. But when you run it, it grabs/generates images from a server on the fly. For me that irritated me a bit because it was going so slow to load those images. Maybe the server was slow at the time since I DLed it near the time it was released. I'll try it again sometime, but it was kind of neat. I wasn't able to view my home in Hawaii though.

Keiichi

 :Blush:

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## Dutch Baka

well i checked it out.. really great program that is.. just they are not really finnished and still have lots of things to improve ( or am i just being really really really spoiled now?) 

when you zoom in the Eifel tower, it is sooo ugly... MT fuji is looking great though!!!!!

also when you type in a place, and search.. it has such a nice way to find it.. and soom it in!!! 

nice work google guys! we all lov u!!!

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## openup

Goolge map and earth now covers Japan.

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## cross-platform

Google also covers the Moon!!
http://moon.google.com/
And if you zoom in all the way, you can see what it is really made of.  :Poh:

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## Dutch Baka

some news about Google, they made signed a partnership contract.. this is great news, as the Google Earth program will probably improve much more.. read more:

NASA Takes Google on Journey Into Space

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - September 28, 2005 - NASA Ames Research Center, located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, and Mountain View-based Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced plans to collaborate on a number of technology-focused research-and-development activities that will couple some of Earth's most powerful technology resources.

NASA and Google have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that outlines plans for cooperation on a variety of areas, including large-scale data management, massively distributed computing, bio-info-nano convergence, and encouragement of the entrepreneurial space industry. The MOU also highlights plans for Google to develop up to one million square feet within the NASA Research Park at Moffett Field.

"Our planned partnership presents an enormous range of potential benefits to the space program," said NASA Ames Center Director G. Scott Hubbard. "Just a few examples are new sensors and materials from collaborations on bio-info-nano convergence, improved analysis of engineering problems as well as Earth, life and space science discoveries from supercomputing and data mining, and bringing entrepreneurs into the space program. While our joint efforts will benefit both organizations, the real winner will be the American public," he added.

"Google and NASA share a common desire\to bring a universe of information to people around the world," said Eric Schmidt, Google chief executive officer. "Imagine having a wide selection of images from the Apollo space mission at your fingertips whenever you want it. That's just one small example of how this collaboration could help broaden technology's role in making the world a better place."

"I'm thrilled that NASA Ames Research Center and Google, two of our region's and our nation's most valuable and innovative organizations, have formed a partnership," said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (CA -14th District).

"As Silicon Valley continues to lead in developing technologies that will guide our nation's economy in the 21st century, partnerships combining the best in public sector innovation with the cutting edge of private industry will serve as the gold standard in public-private partnerships for years to come. The technologies created by the partnership of Google and NASA Ames not only will enable and enhance further exploration of space, it will positively impact the daily lives of all Americans for generations to come," Eshoo said.

"The City of Mountain View is excited that two of our community's most innovative and dynamic organizations, Google and NASA Ames Research Center, are forming a new research and development partnership at Ames. This new collaboration will undoubtedly result in new research projects and endeavors with tremendous potential for innovation and far-reaching benefit," said Mountain View Mayor Matt Neely.

Located on property at Ames Research Center, NASA Research Park is being developed into a world-class, shared-use educational and R&D campus. As part of a comprehensive plan for this area, new laboratories, offices, classrooms, housing, auditoriums, museums, a training and conference center, open space, parking and limited retail facilities are envisioned. The plan calls for NASA to partner with local communities, academia, private industry, non-profit organizations and other government agencies in support of NASA's mission to conduct research and develop new technologies.

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## Silverpoint

I was actually quite chuffed when I found my apartment building in Sapporo. Fortunately I live about 3 blocks from a huge sports dome, so I had a nice landmark to aim for.

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## Index

But Taiwan is not too happy to be part of Chinese territory.

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## Evan Fitz

No you are doing it right, the problem lies with Google Earth, certain areas are taken in much higher definition than others. As you have no doubt noticed none of the areas are actually live, they are updated but some are pretty old. Most of the latest areas do appear to be better quality but some, especially areas in the US which are security classified are very poor. Pity but thats the way it is. My own area is over six years old, I know from the car outside which was sold six years ago.

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